Communication Strategy and Outreach Plan 2003–2004

For additional copies of this publication, contact:Integrated Waste Management Board Public Affairs Office, Publications Clearinghouse MS–6 1001 I Street P.O.. IntroductionFor the Califo

For additional copies of this publication, contact:

Integrated Waste Management Board Public Affairs Office, Publications Clearinghouse (MS–6)

1001 I Street P.O Box 4025 Sacramento, CA 95812-4025 www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Publications/

1-800-CA-WASTE (California only) or (916) 341-6306

Publication #530-03-003 Printed on recycled paper containing a minimum of 30 percent postconsumer fiber.

Copyright © 2003 by the California Integrated Waste Management Board All rights reserved This publication, or

parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

The statements and conclusions of this report are those of the California Integrated Waste Management Board The State makes no warranty, expressed or implied, and assumes no liability for the information contained in the succeeding text Any mention of commercial products or processes shall not be construed as an endorsement of

such products or processes.

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The energy challenge facing California is real.

Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption For a list of simple ways you can

reduce demand and cut your energy costs, Flex Your Power and visit

www.consumerenergycenter.org/flex/index.html.

I Introduction 1

II Goals and Mission 2

III Communication Strategy 3

IV Current Outreach 5

V Resources 6

VI Conclusion 6

VII Proposals 7

Appendices A Strategic Plan Goals 15

B Existing OPA Efforts 16

I Introduction

For the California Integrated Waste Management Board to meet future goals and

mandates, public awareness and acceptance is essential A communication plan and outreach strategy that fosters such a consensus is a vital component of future successes and accomplishments More than simply a collection of decisions about themes,

messages, and tools, a communications strategy focuses the responsibilities of the

organization Focused communication efforts help constituents understand clearly what isbeing communicated, how they benefit and how they can help

The Board’s Office of Public Affairs (OPA) recommends a new communication strategy

as the public relations/education infrastructure with which to achieve future resource management goals that protect the public health and environmental safety

What is a Communication Strategy?

 It is a tool to connect the Board’s Strategic Plan goals with its mission to educate the public about environmental issues and resource conservation

 It creates and reinforces close ties with division programs to support the direction

of the Board

 In partnership with the Board’s many audiences and constituents, it is a business plan that will lead to a cleaner, safer, more resource-efficient California

This strategy is not the daily operational manual for communications at the Board; rather,

it represents an overall view of our desire for deep interconnectivity between all Board programs with a consistent theme The purpose of the plan is to assist the Board in achieving newly defined strategic goals through effective communication with

government, businesses, and consumers using all communication methods and outreach opportunities

California has achieved an overall diversion rate of 48 percent, one of the highest

diversion rates in the nation

That in no way means our work is done What seemed like a lofty goal in 1989 must now

be looked at as a springboard for future successes as we enter the 21st Century With somejurisdictions reporting diversion rates as high as 90 percent, we know that as a state we can and must do better As the population of California continues to grow, so does the problem of how to manage the by-products of that growth with the reality of diminishing landfill capacity

This plan offers up a new rallying cry—“Zero Waste, You Make It Happen”—as the public relations springboard to help carry the Board to new levels of public service in the

21st Century

Charting Our Course

A clear, steady course is needed for the Board to maintain and build upon its outstanding commitment to public service and environmental protection

In our work to increase awareness about resource conservation, as well as the protection

of public health, safety, and the environment, we are competing with many demands uponthe time and attention of our varied audiences Effective, unified, and coordinated

communication therefore is critical to meeting the goals and mission of the Board

To reach the next level of resource management—Zero Waste—this communication plan seeks to:

 Make the most of existing resources

 Foster positive working partnerships—both internally and externally

 Direct consistent, unified, coordinated messages to our various audiences

II Goals and Mission

The objective of this communication strategy is to create a cost-effective campaign that will serve to strengthen the identity of programs under the Board’s authority, unify its outreach efforts, continue to educate California residents and businesses, and showcase California’s waste prevention and diversion efforts and successes

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has two primary roles—protecting public health and safety and the environment through oversight of solid waste facilities, and spearheading California’s waste diversion efforts As part of the California

Environmental Protection Agency, we are the State’s primary recycling agency

With divisions dedicated to landfill safety, waste prevention and market development, themanagement of special wastes (such as used oil and tires), and assistance to local

governments in meeting waste diversion mandates, the Board has broad responsibilities Our programs affect every resident, business owner, school child, industry, and

municipality of this state

Strategic Plan: The Big Picture

In its 2001 Strategic Plan, the Board set priorities for the next five to ten years,

emphasizing:

 Market development

 Education and public participation

 Public health and safety

 Environmental justice

 Setting long-term sights on a Zero Waste philosophy

 Place an emphasis on the purchase of recycled content products

III Communication Strategy

Individual programs often develop and implement their own communication and outreachefforts For instance, funding for used oil program public awareness and advertising efforts has traditionally been allocated in an annual expenditure plan reviewed and recommended to the Board by its Market Development and Special Waste Committee (now the Special Waste Committee) This committee has also formulated the Board’s five-year tire plan, which identifies tire fund expenditures for communication and

outreach activities Other programs receive support from the used oil and tire recycling funds through these annual allocations and the contract concept process

Problem: Uncoordinated Communication

Public information and advertising expenditures—in dollars and human resources—are allocated by the Board on a program-specific basis, resulting in the expenditure ofsignificant resources annually, without the benefit of a coordinated analysis of these resources

Solution: Communication Oversight

A systematic review of all Board outreach programs would identify opportunities for internal cooperative marketing activities and efficiencies, and insure consistent and uniform branding of these efforts across all programs

The Board’s new Education and Public Outreach Committee will discuss and provide recommendations on a variety of Board-wide outreach agenda items Outreach does not begin or end with OPA; it includes a wide range of efforts across the Board that must be

coordinated with precision and consistency As the Board’s new “eyes and ears” on communication activities, the Committee is positioned to provide guidance on the overallcoordination and use of the Board’s outreach resources.

OPA has initiated the Marketing Task Force to help guide the content, timing, integration and consistency of all messages generated by Board programs The task force—which includes representatives from each of the Board’s program divisions—held an initial meeting on April 1, 2003, and will meet quarterly to address communication issues with the goals of promoting efficient use of resources; avoiding duplication of effort in

outreach, travel, and printing budgets; and reinforcing appropriate identity standards

This communication strategy recommends a number of new, high-visibility advertising and communication efforts commensurate with available funding and staffing resources OPA proposes to fully integrate this strategy into ongoing efforts, which include, but are not limited to:

 News/media contact

 Public relations activities

 Board member communication and speech preparation

 Oversight of the Board’s Web site

 Review and editorial services for all board publications

 Design and distribution of Board publications

 Development and coordination of media events

 Marketing and promotion of Board-sponsored programs

 Coordination of exhibits and exhibitor services for trade shows and conferences

 Video documentation of Board-sponsored events

 Production and development of broadcast quality videos and video news releases (VNR).

 Development and coordination of videoconferencing capabilities

IV Current Outreach

Recycled Product Market Development

Several market-based programs at the Board currently support our market development goal, including the Recycled Product Trade Show, State Agency Buy Recycled

Campaign, the Web-based recycled-content product database and RecycleStore Web site,

as well as the Recycling Market Development Zone and loan programs, and green

building efforts In the past, Board programs such as CalMAX, WRAP, and the used oil program have established strong identities

Trade Shows and Conventions

Attendance at and coordination of trade shows and conventions are other existing

services provided by OPA This communication plan recommends, where feasible and in keeping with budget requirements, that the Board continue to have a presence at major events as part of an overall marketing effort and to promote public education For

example, OPA will maintain its close collaboration with the Board’s buy recycled staff to attract other industries to the annual Recycled Product Trade Show

Outreach Support

To provide better outreach, OPA has expanded cooperative efforts with local

governments, waste companies, and others who staff booths at their local county fairs andtrade shows, providing materials and information to spread the word about the Board’s mission Pre-packaged boxes of literature are sent when Board staff is not available to attend an event; local exhibitors then distribute the materials OPA will continue to ship these “outreach-in-a-box” kits throughout California and especially to Southern

California Soon we will be adding new educational and technical resources Web pages toassist venues, events managers and local governments in developing waste diversion and recycling programs at venues and special events

Award Programs

The Board offers a number of annual award programs that promote our mission and goals These award programs recognize various constituents and stakeholders, such as schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, State agencies, and local governments

 WRAP (Waste Reduction Awards Program)—honors California businesses for

exemplary waste reduction efforts in the workplace

 STARR (State Agency Recycling Recognition)—honors State agencies for

reducing waste, recycling, reusing materials, and buying recycled-content

products

V Resources

The Board’s Office of Public Affairs (OPA) is a resource available to all Board 

employees, at all levels of the organization. For any project involving communication issues or needs—internal or external—OPA provides assistance to promote the Board’s programs and objectives

The Office of Public Affairs has a staff of specialists with expertise in all aspects of communications work:

 Media relations

 Video production

 Graphic design

 Copy writing and editing

 Publications and printing

 Outreach and community relations

 Web design and content oversight

OPA handles media inquiries, oversees the design and printing of Board publications, andmanages content of the Board’s Web site These are all areas where the office’s role has been clearly established In other areas, where consistency remains equally important—such as the design and production of advertising and promotional materials, and

advanced planning of public outreach activities—program staff does not uniformly seek OPA’s involvement We have an opportunity to promote increased internal coordination and access to OPA’s consulting services to maximize the Board’s resources

VI Conclusion

The strategy is simple The Board must unify and coordinate all of its program messages with a single theme, “Zero Waste, You Make It Happen.” OPA must ensure that every division is a part of that theme By doing so, the Board will improve the effectiveness of each program’s discreet message Program messages will benefit each other through the overlap, thus increasing both the effective reach and breadth of each message

OPA recommends developing an inventory of program-level advertising and public awareness efforts With assistance from OPA, program divisions would identify

successful marketing activities in a standardized format, describing target audiences, messages, distribution and evaluation methodologies, and resource allocation

These marketing plans would then be reviewed and evaluated by the executive staff’s Marketing Task Force, and presented to the Board’s Education and Public Outreach Committee to help guide the budget allocation process

VII Proposals

Logo

All informational publications produced by OPA will display the Board logo and Zero Waste theme on the front

Branding the Board

Given the Board’s limited resources, the most effective way for the Board to gain the kind of repetition and penetration necessary to brand the Board and its programs is to require and/or encourage stakeholders, including those subject to the Board’s authority, tocarry the Zero Waste message in their communication efforts The Board has long played

a leadership role in protecting the environment, while helping ensure the health and safety of the public we serve A strong Zero Waste message helps solidify that leadershiprole

Targeting Communication

Targeting communication at a specific audience increases the effectiveness of the Board’slimited resources and improves the potential for measurable results All public awareness and educational materials should be crafted to deliver focused messages to specific audiences, and delivered by the means determined most likely to reach the audience In coordination with the Marketing Task Force, OPA will assist the Board’s programs in identifying and segmenting target audiences, and developing effective messages and delivery methodology

Informational Newsletters

The Board’s Diversion, Planning and Local Assistance (DPLA) Division produces and

disseminates a quarterly newsletter, infoCycling, to reinforce the importance of diversion

and the continuing expectations of local jurisdictions OPA will work with DPLA to

enhance infoCycling, which is distributed to local governments and haulers, and to

consider whether such a publication should be expanded to all statewide consumers

To encourage consistent and comprehensive outreach locally, OPA will develop a

downloadable newsletter template for the Web site, as a communication resource for localprogram operators and haulers

Signage

The Board should develop and implement requirements, including any needed changes inregulation, for signage by permitted solid waste and waste tire facilities, certified oil recycling centers, all cleanup projects, and all grant and loan recipients that includes the Board’s logo and the Zero Waste message The Board’s program divisions should proposerevisions to existing boilerplate requirements to include this provision

All events sponsored or co-sponsored by the Board must predominantly display a sign or banner with the Board’s name and logo

Small Business Recognition

OPA proposes that the Board initiate a program to recognize the efforts of small

businesses that are contributing to the Zero Waste goal This is not intended as an

application-based process (like WRAP); instead it would be operated more informally (e.g., a simple letter of recognition from the Chair’s office with a window decal carrying the Zero Waste message